How Was Your Christmas?

We are back from our rounds of holiday visits, and brought back some pictures of Christmas dinner and yay, a cold.  A great way to spend my vacation week between Christmas and New Years--sick on the couch.  I could go on a tirade, but instead I'll just share some photos of Christmas dinner with you.  My mom loves to cook and entertain, and she did a great job again this year with dinner.  We had pork roast, mashed potatoes, stuffing, corn, squash, rolls, and so much more.  Drool and enjoy!

Mom's Christmas tree

Some desserts...more were added later

Lunch is served!  Yes, those are little sausages wrapped in bacon.  Yes, they were good.

Snack plates!

The Abominable Snowman, from Rudolph

Intermission during Ben-Hur--the menfolk watched while the womenfolk worked.

The rolls

Have a safe and happy New Year!

For the Christmas Spirit!

We went up to the Toledo Zoo for their light display on Saturday.  It was good, as always, and we even got a light dusting of snow that day to enhance the beauty of the lights on the trees.  So without further ado, here are a few pictures from the Toledo Zoo to put you in the Christmas mood!

It was great when we first arrived, because not that many people were there yet.  By the time we left around 7 pm, it was packed.  If you live in the northwest Ohio area, the Toledo Zoo's Lights Before Christmas is a must-see.  The light displays are fantastic, and some of the nocturnal animals are still on exhibit.  We've gone there every Christmas since we moved to Ohio.  It's a great holiday tradition!

Finally Finished

The Big Unveil...

Well, it took two extra days, a lot of stress, many extra trips to Lowe's, and four sleepless nights at a hotel, but we finally have our new bathroom!  It was a frustrating experience, to say the least, and completely extinguished any desire to remodel again, but everything is new and updated and fixed.  We might only have one bathroom still, but it's definitely nicer!  Below are before pictures:

And a picture of a layer of old vinyl:

And after!:

 And yes, in case you were wondering, we did get the faucet and vanity that I mentioned a while ago in another blog post:

We have a bathroom that is approximately 12' long by 5' wide--a typical bathroom size for an older home.  To make it feel larger, we chose better lighting, a light-colored wood vanity, and kept the walls a lighter color, and even though we chose a larger tub and deeper vanity cabinet, it still feels like a larger space.  The porcelain tile gives it a much more polished and refined look, especially as a shower surround.  We also updated our towel bars, toilet paper holder, and towel/robe hooks to a more modern brushed nickel finish, with tied everything together well.  We like it.  I don't want to do this again, but we have a nice, updated bathroom.  It should help us sell the house in a few years without a problem.  Woohoo!

Christmas Partyin'

We attended hubby's Christmas party on Saturday night.  It was a good time, with lots of good food, live music and dancing.  There are always a lot of people there, but it never seems crowded, unless you spend the night near the open bar.  Here are a few phone pics and videos (I apologize for the quality--I need a phone that takes better images).

The local high school orchestra played before the band arrived.  They were very good!

I also took video of a couple who was really enjoying the music, and this guy had sweet moves!  I'm guessing they were in their late 60s to early 70s.  The video won't load onto the blog, but it was fun to watch them all night.  Just take my word for it.  I ran into the lady in the bathroom and she told me that he was from Greece, and that they just really get into their dancing over there.  Sounds like fun!

Staying Occupied

I've been staying very busy filling online orders lately.  I appreciate all of the support that family and friends have given me, as well as the support I've gained on Etsy, the website, and Facebook.  Thanks, everyone!  And there's a good chance that I won't have another entry before Christmas, so I want to wish everyone a very merry Christmas and happy New Year!!

I've been reading an online devotional from Chuck Swindoll.  Right now, he's discussing the story of Esther, another favorite story in the Old Testament.  God's not mentioned in this book, but He's certainly orchestrating everything that happens in it!  What a brave woman Esther was.  And smart, too!  She wasn't vain, she didn't aspire to be royalty, she had patience, and she understood timing in the events that were destined to occur.  She was all of these things because, through her life, God had made her into the person He needed her to be to save her race.  While she didn't necessarily want the palace life, she was obedient to not just her uncle, Mordecai, but also to God in what she was instructed to do.  Her humility caught the eye of the king, who had dismissed his previous wife for her unwillingness to obey, and this landed Esther in a position to save the Jews and fulfill prophecy.  Whew!  Good thing for that!  I wish that I could have more of Esther's attributes.  To read the book, click on this link: Book of Esther.

Here We Go!

With Christmas just around the corner, there is a lot going on right  now.  We did finally get our tree up, and it looks nice and cheerful.  Sets the mood.  I didn't go all out with decorating this year, and I think it's because I feel so cramped already in our small house that I couldn't bear to add to the clutter.  I still wanted to decorate, though, so I went with the less-is-more option, and just set out some items.  Still, it looks like Christmas for sure!

We begin remodeling our bathroom tomorrow.  I've taken some before pictures, and I'll take some during and after pictures, and post them on here for anyone who is curious.  Hubby and I are both very excited for our new bathroom, and will be even more excited when it is all done!  It should look wonderful.

We also have my husband's Christmas party coming up next weekend.  We were able to go last year for the first time since moving here, and it was nice, although some people there looked like they were attending their prom (yes, seriously, prom dresses).  It should be fun, though, as we will be hanging out with some of hubby's friends there.  Doesn't hurt that they have free food and drinks all night, too!

Hope everyone has a good week!  And, in the spirit of the Christmas season, here is a passage from Luke: "And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.”  But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was.  The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.” Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God. And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month. For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her."(Luke 1:28-38).  Celebrate the real meaning of Christmas!!

Thanksgiving!

Hello!  I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving.  Ours was filled with family and delicious food.  Our brother-in-law did the turkey honors this year and provided us all with two delicious smoked turkeys, cooked to perfection.  We all thought it was absolutely wonderful.  We also enjoyed homemade rolls, corn casserole,  mashed potatoes, green beans, sweet potatoes, stuffing, and of course, pumpkin pie.  It was a wonderful dinner.  None of us participated in Black Friday shopping, so we just spent the day doing some relaxing and a little bit of afternoon shopping (it was brief, but fun, and deals were still found).  We ended the day with pizza, and left Saturday around noon.  It was a beautiful day Friday and Saturday, too, with sunshine and temperatures in the mid 60s.  Unusual for this time of year, but quite enjoyable!  After returning home, we did some yard work and I got to do some Christmas decorating--something I've been waiting all year to do!  I didn't get everything done, but I also think I won't put out all of the decorations that I have, too.  So, with the exception of the Christmas tree, I may be very close to being done with decorating.  I'm okay with that.  It's supposed to rain/snow for the next several days, so we'll certainly get the tree up between now and then.  Happy decorating, everyone!

Here are a few photos for your viewing pleasure:

I feel I must explain this first picture.  Every time we go to see my husband's family, we pass this farm just outside of Celina, Ohio.  This sign is actually the name of the farm, and I had to share it with you.  The first time we saw it, we both did double-takes.  And then we laughed hysterically.

 

Decorations for Christmas:

Candlelight:

Is It Christmas Yet?

Three years ago to the day today it was snowing on the fallen leaves

I can't believe that it's been over two weeks since I've been on here!  Time is flying right now.  This time of the year is always busier than normal--everyone in my family has a fall birthday, there are some fall birthdays on my hubby's side of the family, several holidays to plan for, and Christmas shopping...no wonder it's halfway through November already!  We are almost entirely done with the issues that we have been dealing with concerning our house.  The craft shows are finally over, and I'm not entirely sure that I want to do that ever again.  Although, it was good for earning some cash...it just didn't have any sort of long-term effects for my little online store that I had hoped for.  That's the way it goes, I guess, in an economy that seems to be in very rough shape.  We have family members and friends that are experiencing some hard times right now, and it just seems like, in retrospect, this has been a tough year in general for a lot of people.  Some days, it's hard to be positive about much of anything.  At least I can look forward to decorating for the seasons.  It's one of the little joys I like to anticipate, and I love doing it! 

I truly can't believe that Thanksgiving is next Thursday.  We plan to spend it with family, and eat lots of food!  I want to wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving and hope you are able to spend it with those you love.  Happy Thanksgiving!

No matter what the circumstances, the Lord is always with us.  Countless entries of Scripture tell us this!  So why, when things go wrong, do I have a tendency to feel alone?  I don't think I'm the only one who has felt like this.  With all of the interesting situations that have presented themselves to us this year, I find it a good reminder that God's not leaving me to flail about helplessly in a sea of utter frustration.  Acts 3:19 states that those who are saved in the Lord will find a second wind: "Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord."  Psalm 139:7 says, "Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?"  (I find it amusing that this could have been applied all the way back to Adam when he tried to hide in the garden!)  And finally, in Exodus 33:14, God had to reassure Moses that He would be with them: "And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”  I know what I'm thankful for this Thanksgiving and every other day of the year.  What are you thankful for?